Becoming Human
by milkteaandcookies
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple task: locate Ichigo Kurosaki and challenge him to a fight to the death. But sometimes things don't always go as planned. Instead of Ichigo, Grimmjow crosses paths with another old acquaintance, and before he knows it, he ends up spending a lot more time around her than usual. {Grimmhime}
1. Chapter 1

_"__Dammit, where the fuck could he be?" _

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez kicked the dirt under his feet, fed up and exhausted. He had been searching for Ichigo Kurosaki for the past few hours, only to realize that the soul reaper was nowhere to be found.

He was positive that this was his hometown. _Karakura, wasn't it?_ Yet the Arrancar couldn't catch a trace of his rival's spiritual pressure. He was pissed, to say the least. It's been months since the end of the Quincy blood war, months since the two of them last interacted, and even longer since Grimmjow had been craving a rematch.

He had been preparing for this moment for a hell of a long time. When he wasn't visiting the world of the living, the former Sexta Espada would be training in Hueco Mundo, devouring lower-class hollows and fellow Arrancar to increase his spiritual pressure, all in hopes of becoming stronger –_much_ stronger than he had ever been. Grimmjow made a vow to himself that he wouldn't face Ichigo again until he was certain that he would beat him, adding that he'd rather die than endure yet another humiliating defeat at Kurosaki's hands.

The plan was simple. He would appear in the world of the living to find Ichigo, then he would remind the bastard that he still owed him a rematch and refuse to leave until he gave him exactly that, then he would proceed to beat the crap out of the Shinigami until the bastard was officially dead. And maybe for the hell of it, Grimmjow would devour his soul, just like he does with every other opponent he fought. Everything would work exactly as planned, the Arrancar had concluded.

Except, of course, there was one problem. His opponent had to actually _show up_ before any part of his scheme could take effect. And after hours of searching every corner of Karakura town, there was still no sign of him.

Annoyed and exhausted, the blue-haired male trekked on, letting his mind run elsewhere. He looked up from the ground and began surveying his surroundings, stopping occasionally to gaze at a passersby, or to read the symbols on the street signs –anything to ease his boredom. He was in a rather crowded part of town. People were rushing past him, chatting animatedly amongst themselves and carrying bags of goods. Cars zoomed past him on the streets, birds flew over his head, some landing on the sidewalk in front of him to peck at some leftover scraps of food.

The Arrancar watched as a few birds landed beside his feet to munch on a slice of bread. For no particular reason other than to pass the time, Grimmjow kicked at them, causing them to squeal and fly away in alarm.

He smirked, enjoying the sensation of causing terror in others, even small animals in the world of the living. That feeling of satisfaction was short-lived, though, and Grimmjow soon returned to his wandering, his smirk turning back into a frown. He continued to observe his surroundings, taking notice of all the sights he's never seen before.

For the first time, the Arrancar began to muse about how different the human world was from Hueco Mundo. The bustling city life that he was currently surrounded by was a sharp contrast to the barren, desert wasteland that he was accustomed to. Never in his existence had he seen so many trees, so much life blooming around him. Deep shades of green were beginning to transition to hues of red and orange, signifying the beginning of autumn. In contrast, his home-world of Hueco Mundo was devoid of any trees, of any form of life. Everything in his world was dead, doomed to live a cursed existence for the rest of eternity.

And Grimmjow was no exception.

He wasn't surprised when not a single pedestrian stopped to look at him or even attempt to make conversation. He was a hollow, after all. Most humans weren't able to see his kind. The thought actually comforted Grimmjow, and for a moment he thought about all the mayhem he could get away with, the amount of _fear_ he could instill in these humans while remaining invisible to their eyes. Just thinking about it brought a sinister smile to his face.

_Can't believe I haven't thought of that earlier,_ he mused. His mind starting swarming with all the possible shenanigans he could pull. Maybe he could use his _cero_ to blast the windows of all these buildings, scare the living daylights out of these punks. Or perhaps paralyze everyone with his immense spiritual pressure, devour their souls, flip over some cars while he's at it. Maybe burn down a couple of trees too? Anything to get the public cowering in fear, he decided. _Yeah that would certainly be fu-_

"G-Grimmjow?"

"Huh?" He froze in his tracks, glancing behind him to meet the gaze of the unexpected inquisitor. It was a young woman –a _human_ to be exact, and one that could actually see him. Her deep grey eyes stared back into his hooded blue ones, surprise making its way onto her features when realizing that she correctly identified the male before her.

"You," Grimmjow said, recognizing who the woman was. Her long auburn hair, big grey eyes, and all-too familiar _reitsu_ was enough to confirm that. She was the girl who was taken as captive in Las Noches, back when Aizen was still in power. The same girl who healed his left arm, and the reason he was able to regain his ranking as the Sexta Espada.

Being as oblivious as he was, though, he couldn't remember her name. Whatever she was called, she was a close friend of Kurosaki, Grimmjow realized. The exact same person he's been trying to hunt down for the past several hours now_. She probably knows where he is_, he thought to himself. _Guess my luck hasn't completely run out yet._

"What are you doing here?" The girl asked him. She had just finished shopping for groceries at the adjacent marketplace, arms full with bags containing all her brought items. The last thing she expected to see on her way home was a former Espada, roaming the streets of the human world as if he was a human himself.

Grimmjow only smirked at her question, moving towards her until they were only an arm's length away. "Nothing, just looking for an old _friend_. I don't suppose _you_ know where I could find him?"

The blue-haired Arrancar was probably expecting her to tremble in fear. He expected her to know precisely who he wanted to see and what exactly he was planning to do with him. From all her days as a captive in Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow expected her to know at least _that_ much about him.

What the Arrancar _wasn't_ expecting, however, was for his question to be met with a denser-than-dense response.

"A friend? Oh, I didn't know you had friends here, Grimmjow!" the girl replied, her tone laced with pure innocence. "But then again, I don't know that much about you, anyway. To be honest I never took you as the type of person to have friends. You always seemed more like a loner to me…Oh, but I don't mean that in a bad way!" She started waving her hands frantically, dropping her grocery bags as a result and spilling some of the produce onto the sidewalk. "Oh no!" She crouched down and quickly started gathering her belongings, grabbing onto an orange just before it rolled onto the street. "I forget how clumsy I could be sometimes, I'm so sorry! It's just that, you being here just caught me completely off guard and I wasn't really sure what to-"

_"__Ugh! Enough already!" _The Arrancar roared, silencing the girl immediately. He was seething with rage at this point, his patience reaching its near end. He was already exhausted from all his hours of trying to find Kurosaki, and the last thing he wanted at this point was to listen to this chick blabber on and on.

"All I want to know," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose to try to calm himself down, "Is where your boyfriend is. Ichigo Kurosaki, that name sound familiar to you?"

"b-boyfriend?" The girl repeated, her face turning scarlet at the insinuation.

"Yes, your _boyfriend_," Grimmjow affirmed. "Or whatever you humans call it, I don't care. I owe him a good ass whooping from the last time. I want you to tell me where he is, now."

"I..sure, yes, I would, but..it's just that.."

"What?" He asked, annoyed.

"Well, I'm afraid…I'm afraid you've got it wrong, Grimmjow," the girl said. "Ichigo isn't my boyfriend. He never was."

"Huh?" Instead of receiving another angry outburst, the auburn-haired girl was met with a look of pure confusion. "Then what the hell are you to him?" He demanded.

"Uh-well, I don't really..know," she began to stutter. "He's a good friend of mine, I guess. I care about him a lot, and he cares for me too. He's always so protective, and..and I do like him, a lot.."

She instantly covered her mouth, realizing her slip-up.

"I-I mean, as a friend, of course!" She defended, her face turning an even deeper shade of scarlet. "I like him as a friend! Nothing more than that! Heh heh.."

At this point, Grimmjow didn't know how to react. He only stared at the girl before him, who was clearly embarrassed, though he didn't completely understand why. Part of him was vexed at still not getting anywhere with Kurosaki's whereabouts, yet another part of him actually found the girl's flustered reactions to be…amusing. Something he wasn't expecting, that's for sure. He was torn between seizing her by the collar of her jacket and threatening her right then and there, or just walking away, postponing his rematch with Kurosaki for yet another day.

He decided to go with the latter option.

"Alright, whatever," he sighed. "If you happen to see him, be sure to give him the message," he turned on his heel, preparing to depart. "I don't like to be kept waiting."

And with that, the Arrancar soared into the air, disappearing behind a distant building, out of the girl's sight. Unbeknownst to Grimmjow, her gaze lingered on the spot where he disappeared, a sad smile forming on her face. She then reprimanded herself for acting so silly when asked about Ichigo.

_"__Gosh, that was so embarrassing,"_ she muttered, covering her burning face with her hands. _"I can't believe I said all those things. I really need to learn to stop blabbering so much!"_

* * *

In the distance, a third party looked on as Grimmjow made his way towards them. Upon feeling the presence of a new spiritual pressure, the blue-haired Arrancar suddenly stopped, descending onto the nearest rooftop.

He stood before them, a scowl making its way across his face upon realizing who it was.

"Well, well," a voice greeted him. "Didn't expect to find _you_ here."

He groaned, not in the mood for another conversation, much less with the likes of _her_.

"What do you want, Nel?" He ordered.

The green-haired female stepped closer towards him, maintaining her usual, calm demeanor. "I came here to ask you that, actually," she replied. "What is your interest in Orihime Inoue?"

He rose an eyebrow in confusion, until realization suddenly hit him. _Orihime, huh? So that's what the girl's name was._

"Tch, what's that got to do with you, anyway?" He replied, annoyed.

Nel wasn't at all fazed by his rude response. It was typical of Grimmjow to be standoffish and avoid answering questions. Nothing new here.

She sighed. "If you're looking for Ichigo Kurosaki, you're wasting your time. He and his family are out of town. They won't be back for a couple of weeks."

At that, the blue-haired male cursed under his breath. _Of course the carrot-head was out of town. Just his fucking luck. Now he has to wait yet __**another**__ eternity before the two of them could fight again. Fantastic!_

"Whatever," he replied. "I was about to leave, anyway. We done here?"

"Not quite. I came to find you at the request of Kisuke Urahara." His eyes widened at the mention of the familiar name, something he wasn't expecting to hear.

"Urahara, huh?" Grimmjow repeated, remembering the soul reaper he and Nel had allied with during the Quincy blood war. "What the hell does he want?"

She wasted no time explaining. "He asked that we meet him at once. We have a problem, Grimmjow."


	2. Chapter 2

Grimmjow had never been in Kisuke Urahara's shop before.

In fact, he never thought he would cross paths with the former Shinigami again. The Arrancar had told himself that the Quincy invasion was the first and _only_ time he would _ever_ ally himself with any Shinigami. Afterwards, he would return to his mundane life as a hollow, and them as soul reapers, and Ichigo and his friends as humans, and no such allegiance would ever form between the three groups ever again–the idea was outrageous and unnatural, Grimmjow had thought.

Yet here he was, leaning against the wall of an unfamiliar room, staring at the man who had once swayed him to the soul reaper cause, a cause that Grimmjow had only agreed to fight for because it involved the potential destruction of Hueco Mundo. For what reason he was summoned here for this time, he had yet to find out, but based on what Nel had told him earlier, he had a feeling it was important. The Arrancar hated for his time to be wasted by meaningless banter, as if he hadn't had enough of that already.

"Ah, Grimmjow," Urahara greeted him, "it's good to see you again. Why don't you come have a seat, make yourself comfortable?" He gestured to a space on the carpeted floor, close to where a few other guests were seated. Along with him and Nel, Uryuu and Chad were also present, whom Grimmjow remembered from his brief time training with them all those months ago, yet never cared that much for.

The Shinigami appeared the same as he did the last time Grimmjow saw him. Striped green hat, green robe, short blonde hair, and the easygoing, carefree smile that irked Grimmjow to his core. There were also stitches around his eyes, reminding the Arrancar of their confrontation with that shithead Quincy, the one whose poisonous attacks nearly got them all killed. That is, if Nel hadn't appeared at the last second and saved them.

But that event was in the past, Grimmjow reminded himself, and it should fucking _stay_ in the past. He had no idea what he was doing here, in the presence of people who were supposed to be his enemies. Nothing about this situation was normal.

"Feh, don't go on and act like we're friendly and shit," the Arrancar replied. "Just get to the point already. Why the hell did you ask me to come here?"

"I asked Nel to bring you here because I thought you'd want to know what's been going on in Hueco Mundo," Kisuke began, altering his tone to a more serious one. "We've gotten reports that recently, large numbers of Arrancar have been killed or gravely injured. From what I've been told, the perpetrator appeared to be a Shinigami."

"Well of course it was a Shinigami," Grimmjow argued. "Isn't it your job to go after hollows?"

"Except it wasn't an ordinary Shinigami," Nel chimed in, earning a curious look from the blue-haired male. "In fact, I don't think I've ever encountered a being with a spiritual pressure like this before. It felt more like a combination of Shinigami, Quincy, hollow, and possibly other powerful beings. It was able to take down Harribel-san without much difficulty. I'd say the only reason I'm alive right now is because I was able to escape in time. Harribel-san was seriously wounded, which is why I brought here her and informed Kisuke of the situation."

"Harribel is here?" Uryuu inquired.

"Yes. She'll be fine but her reitsu level is alarmingly low," Kisuke explained. "She's not strong enough to return to Hueco Mundo just yet, so I'll have her stay here for the time being."

At that, Grimmjow could feel every muscle in his body beginning to tense, his battle-hungry instincts gnawing at him from the inside. Whatever this thing was, whatever was responsible for what was done to Hueco Mundo's current ruler, he was prepared to fight it. It had been awhile since he'd faced a challenging opponent, and the Arrancar was not going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

"Tell me where this thing is," he demanded. "I'll take it down myself!"

"Don't be a fool," Nel reprimanded, earning a glare from Grimmjow. "Not even the combined effort of all the Arrancar and a Vasto Lorde were able to take it down. There is no way you'd be able to do so on your own."

"Oh yeah?" He challenged.

"She's right," Kisuke agreed. "We don't have enough information about our target, or how many others like them we could be dealing with here, so jumping straight into a battle would pose too much of a risk. Until we've gathered enough intel on what's going on, I suggest you and the surviving Arrancar lay low for a bit. I don't know what this person's motives are, but based on the extent of the damage that's been done, I'm afraid it could be part of a larger conspiracy to disrupt the balance between our worlds, which means that there is a high probability that our target isn't acting alone."

"What the hell do you mean by "lay low?" Grimmjow questioned. "Are you suggesting we don't do anything about this?"

"Not quite," Kisuke answered, flashing a smile. "I'm saying that until we've gathered enough information about who our opponent is and what exactly they're after, I have a plan. Based on what Nel has told me thus far, the suspect appears to only target the strongest Arrancar, former Espadas like yourselves."

"It claimed it wanted to become the new "hollow king," Nel added. "It wants to seize control of Hueco Mundo, and for what reason, I'm not sure."

"And because of that," Kisuke continued, "I wouldn't recommend returning to Hueco Mundo just yet. The high number of casualties you've already suffered would leave you in a very vulnerable situation. If there are indeed Shinigami behind this attack, then I'm going to need you to stay alive for the time being. We'll have strength in numbers."

Grimmjow was quiet for a moment, considering his proposition. "So you're basically saying you want us to work together? _Again_?"

"Yes," Kisuke replied. "It would be temporary, of course. Once this is all over, you can return to Hueco Mundo and carry on with your hollow life as usual, forget this ordeal ever happened. Whatever you decide."

Grimmjow frowned._ Forget this ever happened, huh?_ _That's exactly what you said the last time I teamed up with you, yet here we fucking are once again._

"There's just one thing," he addressed Kisuke, deciding to put his frustrating thoughts to the side. "If I can't return to Hueco Mundo, then where the hell am I supposed to stay?"

The Shinigami laughed, seeming to already have that part planned out. "Well right here, of course! In the wonderful world of the living."

The blue-haired male wasn't the only one thrown off by his response. Even Nel gave Kisuke a surprised look, while Uryuu and Chad were at a loss for words.

"It's the perfect plan, actually," the Shinigami explained. "In fact, it would give me the perfect opportunity to test out my latest invention." He pulled out what appeared to be a life-sized dummy, earning a quizzical look from the two Arrancar in the room. "This right here is my newest form of _Gigai_–made specifically for Arrancar and hollows like yourselves. You'll be wearing this during your stay here. It's designed to conceal your spiritual pressure, so that if our target is in fact, trying to hunt down the remaining Arrancar, they won't be able to detect your presence. Oh, and it also gives you the benefits of any ordinary human body. Eating, sleeping, drinking, you name it. See? It's practically fool-proof."

"Urahara-san," Uryuu spoke up. "Are you seriously suggesting that these Arrancar should be left to roam around in the world of the living?

"Now when did I say they're going to be roaming around, Uryuu?" Kisuke laughed. "We'll be the ones looking after them, of course. We can't expect them to survive in a foreign world all by themselves now, can we?"

"You're going to do _what_?" Grimmjow fumed. Even Uryuu and Chad were looking at Kisuke like this was the craziest idea he ever had.

"There is no way," Uryuu protested. "I'm sorry Urahara-san, but there's no way I'm letting a _hollow_ stay with me, much less a guy who's actively tried to kill us in the past."

_Heh. Like I could give a shit about killing you_, _Quincy,_ Grimmjow thought to himself. _It's Kurosaki I want, dumbass. Not some weakling like yourself. _

"Don't worry, Uryuu, you and Chad weren't the ones I had in mind," Kisuke assured him. "As for Nel, she'll be residing here with Harribel, I don't suspect they'll be much trouble. Grimmjow, on the other hand–"

He was interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing, indicating the arrival of a new customer.

_"Ah, Inoue-san!"_ Kisuke exclaimed. "Just the person we wanted to see!"

All pairs of eyes turned their attention to the woman who now stood in the doorway, arms carrying an unopened box. She surveyed her surroundings, taking notice of her friends along with the two unexpected guests. A look of confusion made its way across her features, but she maintained her friendly smile nonetheless.

"Hello again, Urahara-san," she greeted the Shinigami. "I brought the stuff you asked for. Sorry I'm a little late, heh heh.." She rubbed the back of her head in an awkward gesture, and it became obvious to Grimmjow that she had no idea how to react upon seeing the Arrancar once again.

"It's no problem at all," Kisuke assured her, maintaining his cheerful demeanor. "And your timing is impeccable, actually. You see, I was hoping you could help us out with a little…dilemma we're having."

"Oh, um, sure." She glanced around at the other guests in the room, unsure of what this was leading to. "How can I help?"

"Long story short, our Arrancar friends over here are going to be staying in our world for the time being. We were wondering if you would be so kind as to have Grimmjow stay in your home for a bit? It's a temporary arrangement, of course, just until the threat level in Hueco Mundo has gone down enough for them to return. You can continue with your work and school life as usual, I don't plan for you to get too involved in this matter. He just needs a place to stay at while he's here, that's it. I'll take care of the rest. What do you say, Inoue-san? Does that sound like something you're comfortable with?"

He was met with silence. Clearly, this was the last thing Orihime expected him to ask of her–to suddenly allow an Espada, a former enemy, to reside in her home. The young woman was always willing to lend a helping hand whenever needed, even if it meant opening up her place of comfort and solitude to those who didn't have anywhere else to go. She's done that before, back when Rangiku and Toshiro were assigned in the world of the living and needed to take up residence somewhere, she had offered her place to them without hesitation.

But this time was different–_way_ different. The man before her was a former enemy of theirs, who made it no secret that he wanted to hurt Ichigo and wasn't going to give up until he's had his way with him. The thought unsettled Orihime, and part of her considered turning down Kisuke's request.

The other part of her, however, the compassionate and forgiving part, didn't want to refuse. Grimmjow was once an enemy, sure, but he was working with them now. She couldn't say the same about most of the other Arrancar, and she always knew in her heart that the former Sexta Espada wasn't as bad as people make him out to be. She thought back to the moment in Las Noches, where two Arrancar girls beat and harassed her, and Grimmjow suddenly broke into the room to stop them. Granted, the way he dealt with the bullies was cruel and out of line, yet it was his way of thanking for what she had done for him–heal his arm and restore his number. He was returning the favor, he had told her.

Sure, Grimmjow immediately demanded she do him another favor after saving her, and in a not-so-gentle way, either. But she was also surprised when before they left, he had asked her to heal her own injuries. She was dumbfounded, to say the least. The Espada who seemed to have saved her for his own selfish purposes suddenly cared about her bruised and battered state? Why was that?

She never told anyone about that moment. Not even Uryuu, Chad, or Ichigo. No one knew that Orihime was the reason Grimmjow was able to get his arm back, or that he was the only one to see her at her absolute lowest moment, bruised and bleeding on the ground, doing nothing as her attackers continued to beat and laugh at her expense. No one ever found out what happened, nor did Orihime plan on sharing that story. It was the secret history that she shared with Grimmjow, and served as proof that the man before her wasn't the heartless Arrancar that she initially deemed him to be.

He was certainly an enigma, Orihime thought. Some could even say that he was a walking contradiction. A villain but also a savior. A craver of blood and destruction, yet also one who refused to see her in a state of brokenness. He certainly wasn't an angel, but that didn't mean he was a monster either. He had some good in him, even if that cold, rough exterior of his would much rather mask it. That had to count for something, right?

She smiled, her mind set on her decision. "Of course. He's welcome to stay with me as long as he needs to."

Grimmjow only blinked at her response, eyes wide with surprise, while Uryuu and Chad exchanged glances of pure astonishment. Clearly, nobody was expecting her to agree to this. Even Nel couldn't help but feel pity for the girl who had no idea what she just signed up for.

"It's settled then!" Kisuke announced, oblivious to the looks of protests from those around him. "I knew I could count on you, Orihime. Also, you brought the other thing I asked for, correct?"

"I sure did!" Orihime beamed, opening the box in her hands to unveil an assorted collection of sweets.!

"_Candy!"_ The Shinigami exclaimed, his tone mimicking that of a child. He picked out a large, rainbow-colored lollipop, eyeing it with a crazed look. "Just what I needed!"

* * *

Minutes after Orihime and Grimmjow left the shop, Uryuu and Chad decided to share their concerns with the candy-crazed soul reaper.

"Um, Urahara-san," the Quincy said.

"What's up?" the said Shinigami turned to meet his gaze, still obnoxiously licking the lollipop from earlier, much to Uryuu's annoyance.

"I understand your reasoning for wanting the Arrancar to stay here," Uryuu began, "but leaving Orihime alone with...with Grimmjow? I mean, are you out of your freaking MIND? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Having Nel stay with her would make much more sense," Chad reasoned.

"Exactly. I don't understand why you'd ask Orihime to take him in instead of doing that yourself," Uryuu criticized. "If anything, I'd say you're putting her life in danger."

"I understand your concern," Kisuke said calmly, putting the piece of candy aside to speak to them. "It's normal to want to look out for a close friend. However, I find it highly unlikely that Grimmjow is going to make any effort to try to hurt Inoue-san, so the two of you needn't worry."

Uryuu, of course, didn't seem convinced. "Yeah, right. And what makes you so sure of that?"

"For starters, Grimmjow isn't some mindless killing machine, not like some of the other Arrancar we've encountered," Kisuke explained. "On the contrary, he seems to have a code of honor. He won't raise his sword against someone who's unwilling to fight back, and he only seems interested in fighting those who measure up against his strength. I should also add that despite how disagreeable and hostile his character may be, I can tell by the way he looks at Orihime that he does respect her in some way. She has that effect on people, no matter who they are, or whether or not they were once our enemies. I am confident that if anyone can handle a difficult guest like Grimmjow, it's her."

"Even if he does respect her, that doesn't guarantee that she wouldn't get hurt because of him," Uryuu pointed out. "We've all seen the way Grimmjow behaves, he's too destructive and reckless for his own good. How can you be sure that he won't hurt her even by accident?"

"You needn't worry about that, either," Kisuke assured him. "The Gigai that I've provided for him is quite restrictive. In addition to concealing his spiritual pressure, Grimmjow won't be able to use most of his powers. Hence, the possibility of him causing mass destruction and harming Inoue as a result is quite unlikely."

"And don't forget, she has strong defensive powers of her own," Chad added. "Even if he did try to do something, I'm sure she would be able to protect herself."

"In the _highly unlikely_ event that she should," Kisuke stressed. "And come on, now. A measly little war shouldn't be an excuse not to have a little _fun_ from time to time. To be honest with you, I can't wait to see the look on Ichigo's face when he finds out that the woman he loves has a new roommate," he flashed a mischievous smile, concealing it with his paper fan. "And not just _any_ roommate, of course."

Upon realizing what he meant, Uryuu's face turned scarlet at the remark, and Chad had to hold himself back from laughing.

"I should have known you had a hidden motive for doing this," the Quincy remarked.

"You pervert," added Chad.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has chosen to read this so far. I really appreciate the support! Your reviews are what keep me going and help me improve, so please don't hesitate to share any thoughts, questions, or critiques you may have for this story. All feedback is welcome! **

**For those who were wondering, yes, this story revolves around the events of the "Can't Fear Your Own World" novels, the sequel to the final chapters of the original ****_Bleach_**** manga. Summaries for the books are available online, in case you're not familiar with them. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter! Looking forward to writing more xx**

* * *

The walk home was mostly quiet. Orihime kept her head high, gazing at the autumn-colored scenery around her, pondering of ways to make small talk with the blue-haired male that was now treading beside her.

If she were to be honest, the idea of inviting a former Espada into her home made her a bit nervous, yet strangely excited at the same time. The young woman had lived alone for most of her life, no longer having any family to look after her. It wasn't very often that she'd find herself some company. She had friends, sure, but now that they've all graduated high school and moved on to university, she's no longer able to spend as much time with them as she used to. Most of her days are consumed by either studying or working at her part-time job, leaving her hardly any time for socializing with friends.

_Perhaps having a temporary roommate is exactly what I needed_, she mused. A nice change from spending so much time by yourself.

She smiled, glancing over her shoulder to see Grimmjow's bored and somewhat peeved expression. He was now wearing the Gigai that Kisuke had provided him with, along with a plain black t-shirt and jeans. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, eyes lowered to the ground as he avoided the gaze of the human he was now forced to share a room with.

Orihime couldn't help but notice that the bone fragment that once lay on the side of his face was no longer there. The hollow hole in his stomach was now covered by his new clothing, and she wondered if the Gigai was able to conceal that part as well. It was strange; the man beside her was a _hollow_, a former Espada to be exact, yet in that moment he looked like any ordinary human being.

"I hope everything turns out okay in Hueco Mundo," she finally spoke. Kisuke had filled her in on what was going on before she and Grimmjow left. "This soul reaper, or whatever it is that attacked Nel and Harribel, sounds like a lot of trouble. I hope this gets resolved soon."

"You're damn right about that," Grimmjow muttered, though mostly to himself. The sooner they defeat this adversary, the sooner he can leave this restrictive Gigai and return to Hueco Mundo. The thought of having to stay another second in the human world irritated him to no end. It had only been a few hours since he agreed to Urahara's proposal, and the blue-haired male was already yearning for his freedom, eager to engage in a fierce battle with the bastard who dared challenge his rightful place on the throne .

"It's kinda nice, don't you think?" The question caught Grimmjow off guard. He glanced over at the girl with an arched eyebrow, blue eyes gleaming with sudden interest. "Us working together, trying to take down a common enemy. I mean, just a few years ago we were at war, fighting on opposite sides of the battlefield. Soul reapers and humans against hollows and Arrancar. Now we've found a cause to unite us, a reason to no longer fight like we used to. I just wish things could stay like that forever, you know? All of us together, helping each other out, trying to do what's best for each other's worlds…and then maybe one day we'll look back and realize that the start of the war just never came.."

She trailed off, compassion gleaming in her large grey eyes as she spoke. Grimmjow was puzzled, to say the least. He couldn't understand why this woman had such a positive outlook on this situation, especially at the idea of having to work with a former enemy of hers. In fact, she was the last person Grimmjow expected to actually look forward to working with hollows like himself. _Seriously, has this chick forgotten what she's had to go through because of them? _

His mind drifted back to those days in Las Noches, from the first time Orihime was presented before Aizen and the Espada, to finding her lying on the floor in her room, bruised and bloody and doing nothing as some low-life sluts continued their merciless assault on her. Hueco Mundo had broken her spirit, Grimmjow knew that for sure. Yet here she was, all smiley and cheerful, eager to work with the very people responsible for causing her all that pain and misery, as if she was reuniting with a long-lost friend instead of a former enemy.

And that wasn't the most mind-boggling part. This girl was talking to Grimmjow like she was his fucking _friend_, as if he wasn't capable of snapping her neck right then and there. He felt insulted. He was the fearsome Sexta Espada, the freaking _Pantera _for crying out loud! She was supposed to tremble before his very presence! Not ramble about her ditzy daydreams with him! Has this chick forgotten who he was, what he was capable of? Or was she simply immune to the concept of fear?

If that was the case, Grimmjow thought, then he would make her remember. He would put her in her place, remind her why a mere human like her shouldn't get too friendly with an Arrancar like him.

He scoffed. "Don't get too comfortable, woman. I'm only going to be staying here for a short time. As soon as the mission is over, I'll go back to hunting down Kurosaki like always, and I'm not gonna stop until I've finally killed him," he turned to meet her gaze, cold blue eyes seething into her warm gray ones, making it clear that he was dead serious._ "You got that?" _

And just like that, Orihime's smile faltered, as if realizing just now the kind of person she was sharing her musings with.

"Right…" she said softly, averting his gaze to look at the ground. "Sorry."

The blue-haired male smirked, satisfied with the girl's response. _Good. That ought 'a shut her up._

They continued walking in silence. It was now late afternoon. Skies were beginning to darken as light blue began to transition to faint shades of pink and red. The cool autumn breeze was beginning to intensify into late-night howling, and Orihime could feel the temperature starting to drop as a shiver made its way up her spine. She wrapped har arms around each other, basking in the warmth of her fall jacket. Grimmjow, on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit fazed by the cold weather, and the fact that he wasn't even wearing a jacket made it all the more bewildering for Orihime.

After a few more minutes of walking, they turned a corner into a familiar neighborhood, tall wooden buildings appearing in sight.

"We're finally here!" Orihime announced as they closed in on what Grimmjow assumed was her apartment building. She climbed the steps to her door, seeming to be out of breath. "Now..I just need to find the key..and then we can get inside."

She started fumbling around in her purse, rummaging through old receipts, personal care products, and other items that she had completely forgotten were in there until now. Grimmjow only stood there, watching the human girl frantically search for what they needed, a bored expression on his face.

"It should be in here somewhere.." the girl mumbled. "but…where..?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, hurry up," the Arrancar snapped. "How long are you going to keep me standing here?"

"Right, s-sorry!" She stopped searching her purse to dig her hands through the pockets of her jacket. "Not here…maybe in this one? Nope.."

She could feel his cold blue eyes on her, glaring at her like a predator about to lunge at his prey. He was about to lose it, she could tell. If there was one thing Orihime always knew about Grimmjow, it was that patience was definitely _not_ his forte.

She mentally scolded herself. How could she lose her house keys? Especially at a time like this, when she had a guest over? The auburn-haired girl couldn't help but feel embarrassed. They haven't even entered her apartment yet and she was already being a lousy hostess.

"Heh heh…sorry, Grimmjow," she laughed nervously, avoiding the Arrancar's murderous glare. "But I can't seem to find my keys. Don't worry, though! I'll run down to my landlord and see if he can lend me a spare! I'll be right back!"

And she hurried off, leaving the blue-haired, ticking time bomb waiting by her front door.

She didn't make it very far, though.

The sound of a loud _boom_ made Orihime yelp in surprise. She stopped in her tracks and quickly made her way to the source of the commotion, finding herself back at the entryway of her apartment.

She froze at the sight. Sure enough, her front door was no longer locked. In fact, it may be more accurate to say she didn't _have_ a front door anymore. Grimmjow had knocked it to the ground, deciding that he wasn't going to wait a millisecond longer.

"Well?" he said, having already made his way inside her home. He was now sitting on her couch, both arms spread out across the headrest in a careless manner. "Ya gonna come inside or keep standing there like a moron?"

She sighed, placing her belongings on the table stand beside her and stepping over her now broken door –a mess that she would surely have to fix herself.

_This was going to be a long night_, she thought.

* * *

"Tch. This shit is boring."

The Arrancar sat on the couch of Orihime's living room, remote control in hand as he mindlessly skimmed through the channels on the television set in front of him. After fixing the front door using _Shouten Keshun_, the young woman showed Grimmjow how to work the TV, figuring that would keep him preoccupied as she prepared dinner.

At first, Grimmjow was awestruck by the earthly contraption before him. He never had one of those things in Hueco Mundo, a magical box that displayed colorful, moving images like this one. Yet after an hour of skimming through Orihime's limited range of programs, he became bored once again, eager to move on to a different activity.

He stood up from the couch and began to roam around the confines of his new living space, cerulean blue eyes studying every item around him. His gaze landed on a wooden shelf consisting of books, photographs, and a variety of knickknacks. He picked up one of the photos, examining the tiny figure that was in it. It appeared to be a child, a young girl with short auburn hair, smiling wide as she wrapped her arms around what appeared to be a large stuffed animal.

_Heh. Even back then she looked stupid_, Grimmjow noted. The same cheerful smile. The same stupid orange hair. She appeared as if nothing in the world could ever break her, which Grimmjow knew was utter bullshit. This world was ugly and cruel, full of nothing but pain and suffering, death and destruction. There was no reason to smile, nothing to feel so damn happy about, and that little girl in the photo would eventually come to realize that.

Without another thought, he put the photo back, eyes meeting his own reflection in the mirror beside the shelf. For the first time, he was looking at himself in his Gigai form. Grimmjow noticed that for the most part, he looked the same as he did when he was in his hollow form, except for some clear differences. He slowly brought a hand up to the side of his face, stroking the area where his panther-like, hollow mask once lay. Instead of the familiar, rough texture of a bone fragment, all he could feel was the smooth sensation of skin. He frowned at the touch; it felt so strange, almost foreign to him.

He then lifted up his shirt, expecting to see the large, gaping hole in his abdomen. Nothing. It was all skin and muscle, with the addition of ordinary human organs underneath. There was no longer any symbol of his identity as a hollow. No mask. No hole. Not even the ravenous hunger to devour other people's souls. In fact, one could even say that he looked completely human. That he was still _alive_, and not someone who died long ago, only to allow himself to become a monster.

He remembered Urahara calling this Gigai his latest invention. As much as that soul reaper irritated him, Grimmjow had to admit he was damn impressed with the work that he put into making this. How the hell did he do it? How was he able to create something so realistic, and nearly flawless? This artificial body was able to conceal every marking of his identity as a hollow, making him appear completely normal to an ordinary spectator. How a mere soul reaper was able to pull off a creation like this was beyond Grimmjow's understanding.

He could fool anyone with this new body –anyone but himself, that is. No matter how much of a human he resembled, Grimmjow knew that inside this Gigai was a broken and tortured soul. Nothing in this universe could ever change that.

He suddenly felt a low rumble come from his stomach, snapping him out of his thoughts. _Hunger_, he realized, and not the kind that he was used to as a hollow. This was the type of hunger that Grimmjow never imagined he would experience again–the hunger for human food.

His eyes wandered over to the tiny figure in the kitchen. _She must be preparing something_, he thought, as the aroma of freshly cooked rice permeated the living room. "Oi, woman," he called out. "When will the food be ready?"

"It's almost done!" Orihime shouted.

He groaned. "Hurry up. I'm starving."

A few minutes later, Orihime came out with a warm platter in her hands, placing it on the small dining table. "Dinner is ready!" She announced, a cheerful smile on her face. She took a seat at the opposite end of the table, eager to dine in on her latest delicacy herself.

Her roommate, on the other hand, only sat there, staring at the odd concoctions of human food before him with a befuddled look on his face. He inhaled the smell, scrunching up his nose in disgust. The hell is this trash? She wasn't actually expecting him to eat this shit, was she?

He felt his stomach rumble again. _Godammit he was hungry_. _And food was sitting right there in front of him. _After another second of hesitation, he finally picked up the chopsticks, taking the first bite of Orihime's cooking.

Big mistake.

The Arrancar gagged at the awful taste in his mouth, trying his best not to spit out the contents right then and there. "Woman," he choked out, after struggling to swallow whatever the hell she had given him. "The fuck is this?"

"Oh, it's one of my favorite dishes!" She beamed, oblivious to the sickened looks of her guest. "Chicken curry and rice. I like to add a pop of favor to the curry, since it usually tastes so plain! So I cooked it with peanut butter sauce, red bean paste, and a touch of wasabi. In case you were still hungry I also prepared some sweet potatoes! But now that I think about it I may have added a bit too much butter, but I hope you still–"

The last words never left her mouth. In an instant, the entire table was flipped over, its contents flying across the room, silverware colliding with the hard-wooden floor with a loud _crash_. Orihime screamed at the Arrancar's sudden fit of rage, eyes widened in horror as she took in the disastrous scene before her.

"_Don't_," Grimmjow warned, _"feed me that shit ever again." _

And with that, he stormed off, leaving her to clean up after him once again.


	4. Chapter 4

Orihime was speechless.

She was still sitting in her chair, in the middle of tasting her own cooking when suddenly, the entire table toppled over and all her hard work went flying across the room.

She gawked at the sight before her. The rice and potatoes she had prepared were now scattered across the floor, while the curry had completely stained her carpet. Her glassware had also shattered in the process and its shards were now lying all over the place.

She sighed. Once again, she'll have to use her powers to fix something that Grimmjow had broken…and something told her this wouldn't be the last time, either.

Within minutes, she was able to clean up all the spilt food by hand while managing to repair the broken plates and glasses using her powers. When she was finally done, she placed the mop against the wall, wiping a few beads of sweat off her forehead.

_What was I thinking, putting extra ingredients into the curry like that? __Of course he wouldn't like it! Nobody ever likes my special meals, not even Tatsuki._

Admittedly, she was hurt by the way Grimmjow reacted. She had put a lot of effort into making that dish, only to have it flung back in her face, all her hard work disregarded. But then again, this was _Grimmjow_ she was dealing with here. He wasn't human, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he knew close to nothing about basic tableside manners. And to be fair, the confines of a human girl's apartment home wasn't the kind of environment that he was used to. He was a hollow, one who spent countless years wandering the deserts of Hueco Mundo, and then all of a sudden he was thrown into the world of the living, stuck sharing an apartment with some awkward human girl he barely knew. A major change like that would definitely take some time getting used to, Orihime realized.

She peeked her head into the living room, finding the former Espada lying on her sofa, one arm resting under his flock of blue hair while the other laid comfortably on his stomach. His eyes were shut, leaving Orihime to assume he was taking a nap.

_Huh. Even when he's asleep he looks angry_, she mused, noticing how Grimmjow's brows were knit together in a frown. She couldn't blame him, though. _He's probably still hungry, _she realized. Of course, since the only food she had given him were thrown halfway across the room, and he hadn't had anything else since then. Maybe she could whip up something real quick?

She hurried back to the kitchen, opening the freezer to see what kind of meat she had available. She grabbed some sealed packets of fish and placed them on the counter, subsequently turning up the stove. She'd make it simple this time; no more extra ingredients or any more of her bizarre concoctions she usually stirred up for herself. Just for a little awhile, she noted, she'd have to resist the temptation to experiment with her cooking.

After a few minutes, Grimmjow stirred in his sleep, the sound of clashing pots and pans waking him from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes, sitting up to see the source of the commotion. "The fuck is all that ruckus?" He groaned sleepily.

"Oh, you're awake!" A wave of long auburn hair suddenly clouded his vision. He blinked a few times, eyes meeting the warm gaze of Orihime Inoue. "I figured you were still hungry, so I made you something different," she smiled, hesitating for a moment as if she was nervous. "Do you maybe…want to come over and try it?"

"Hm?" He was confused for a moment, until his eyes landed on the table across from him. Sure enough, fresh new food had already been laid out, its aroma permeating the space around him.

"Oh. Um, okay," he got up from the sofa and dragged himself to the table, examining the entrees laid out before him. There was a bowl of seasoned fish, steamed vegetables, Miso soup, and a plate of steaming hot rice. His eyes widened, not expecting to see so many choices.

"She…she made me all this?" He said to himself. "Even after what I did earlier? The…hell?"

His stomach rumbled again, and without another thought, he began filling up his plate, taking pieces of nearly everything. Upon taking the first bite, he had nearly forgotten how terrible Orihime's first meal was.

_This is…not half bad, _he thought. He took another bite. Then another. Then another. _Damn. This is some good shit_, he realized. _Why couldn't she make this the first time?_

"Do you like it?" He heard her say.

His mouth was full with food, so he only nodded in response, a gesture that made Orihime's entire face lit up with joy. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'd be sure to make more meals like this in the future then!"

"Mhmm." He continued eating, loading more pieces of seasoned fish onto his plate. _I could definitely get used to this_, he thought.

"Also I'm…sorry you didn't like my earlier dish, Grimmjow." He looked up at the sudden mention of his name, realizing that Orihime was still standing there. Her eyes were locked to the floor, sadness evident in her features. "I guess it was my fault for assuming you'd like all those extra ingredients. I didn't know what I was thinking, to be honest. My own friends don't even like my cooking," she laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "I guess I can get a tad bit carried away when I'm excited. It's been awhile since I've had people over, so.."

"It's fine."

His abrupt response took her by surprise. "What?" She asked.

"I said it's fine. You already made something else for me. No need for the drawn-out explanation."

"Oh, um, okay," she smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I tend to talk a lot when I'm nervous, heh heh."

_"_Yeah. I got that."

"Well anyway," she sighed, remembering that Grimmjow was not one for chit-chat. "I gotta finish cleaning up in the kitchen, but I'll come back to join you in a few minutes, okay?"

Without looking at her, he uttered a "kay, whatever," and continued chewing on a fish bone. A moment later, however, he looked up, blue eyes lingering on her long auburn hair as she disappeared into the kitchen.

He frowned, struggling to comprehend her insistent acts of kindness. Why did she make him another meal? He didn't recall asking her to. He merely lashed out at her, throwing her earlier work across the room and leaving her with another mess to clean up. A typical person would have gotten angry or upset at him…but this girl? She did the exact opposite of what he was expecting. _She_ was the one who apologized to _him_, and even tried to make up for her misstep by preparing him better food. She didn't have to, but she did.

He couldn't wrap his head around her actions. Why would she act so friendly towards someone who treated her so poorly? Why didn't she get upset or fight back? Especially at someone like him, a short-tempered, violent monster who once tried to kill her friends, and still plans on finishing one of them off? It just didn't make any sense.

Then a thought occurred to him. Perhaps she was scared? Afraid that if she didn't please him, he could actually hurt her? That was a possibility, yet for some reason, Grimmjow was doubtful of that. If she was truly afraid of him, she wouldn't have been so open to allowing him to live with her. She had every right to refuse. Grimmjow knew she could speak up for herself, as proven when she boldly stood up to him back in Hueco Mundo, refusing to heal Kurosaki just so he could hurt him again. He knew she was perfectly capable of saying no, yet for some reason, she didn't turn him down. In fact, this wouldn't be the first time he saw her act this way, showing compassion towards someone who did nothing to deserve it.

Before he could stop it, his mind drifted back to an almost forgotten memory.

.

_"__Heal your face"_

_She looked up at him, gray eyes wide with surprise at the Espada's sudden request. Her once attractive face was now covered with bruises and cuts. One eye was so swollen it could barely open. Her clothes were ripped and torn, auburn hair was an uncluttered mess, and blood was dripping from her lips and staining the white fabric of her uniform. _

_He didn't know why it bothered him so much. He himself was a killer, who had no problem torturing his enemies and beating them to a pulp. He got a kick out of violence and blood, for destruction and despair. Yet for some reason, seeing the woman before him in such a beat-up, derogatory state stirred something inside of him. _

_When she didn't respond to his sole command, he became annoyed. "Those injuries on your face. I want you to get rid of them, now," he ordered. _

_He thought he was being crystal clear, so when the girl continued to stand there, hesitating to comply to a simple, harmless request, he almost lost it. "Hurry up!" He shouted. "I don't like dragging around girls with beat-up faces."_

_That was when she turned around, studying the two fallen Arrancar girls behind her, the same ones responsible for her gruesome injuries. Without saying a word to Grimmjow, she ran towards them._

_"__Hey!" He shouted. _

_She ignored him, instead examining the two injured girls lying before her. One of them had the entire top part of her body blown off by Grimmjow's cero. By normal standards, she should be considered dead, yet Orihime could still sense some of her reitsu lingering around her. She could bring her back. She had to give it a try._

_"__Santen Keshun," she whispered, instantly forming an orange shield over the girl's lifeless body. Sure enough, it only took a few seconds before the fallen Arrancar returned to her former state. _

_She then directed her attention to the second Arrancar girl across from her, the one whose leg was brutally torn off her body by Grimmjow. She was still conscious, groaning in pain as she struggled to lift herself off the ground. When she saw Orihime approach her, however, she only sneered._

_"__What are you doing?" She panicked, watching as Orihime sat herself beside her, preparing to work her powers again. "Don't touch me!" _

_The Arrancar extended her hand toward her, smacking the human girl across the face. For some reason, the sudden action made Grimmjow fume. He clenched his fists, and for a moment, contemplated whether he should break off the girl's arm as well. He was surprised to see that instead, Orihime refused to leave her side. _

_She ignored the stinging sensation on her cheek, remaining adamant in healing the fallen enemy before her. She raised her hands over the girl's broken leg, muttering the same words she did earlier. An orange shield formed over the Arrancar's wound, and within seconds, she too returned back to her former state._

_"__What...what the hell?" The Arrancar gawked at the spot Orihime just healed, realizing that her leg had been perfectly restored. "How did you do that? What..what the hell are you?" _

_Orihime didn't respond, which only seemed to irk the girl even more. "You're s-stupid, you know!" She spat with every ounce of venom she could muster. "Don't think this is gonna change anything! I s-still hate you! You…you monster!" _

_Orihime didn't say anything as she turned her back on her, making her way back to the Espada. Grimmjow couldn't make out the expression on her face. Instead of sadness or anger, he noticed that she was devoid of any emotion. She looked empty, practically soulless. _

_"__Why?" He asked her. She looked up at the sudden question, dull gray eyes meeting his vivid blue ones. "Why did you heal them?"_

_She didn't respond, but merely averted her gaze to the ground, as if unsure of the answer herself._

_He frowned. "I don't get it. They treated you like shit, so I did you a favor and took them out for you. Why did you go back and help them?"_

_"__Do I need a reason to?" She asked. _

_He raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding. "What? Of course you need a fucking reason. You don't just heal an enemy because you feel like it!"_

_She smiled slightly; eyes still locked to the ground. "I don't know, then. I don't know why I healed them. All I know is that I couldn't stand there and watch them suffer like that, even if they are my enemies, even if they did hurt me." She paused for a moment, clenching her fists as if to stop herself from breaking apart right in front of him. "But I also know that, no matter what a person has done, nobody in this universe is undeserving of a bit of kindness." She looked up at him, big gray eyes glistening from trying to hold back her tears, yet her smile remained. "So there you go. I don't need a reason to help anyone, Grimmjow. If my heart tells me it's the right thing to do, then I'm going to do it."_

_._

"Did you want anything to drink?"

The sudden question was enough to snap him out of his reverie, blue eyes instantly meeting those of Orihime Inoue.

He quickly looked away. "Uh yeah. Sure," he uttered, mentally cursing himself for having been caught staring. _Feh_. What was he doing thinking about that moment, anyway? That was a long time ago. It didn't even matter to him. It _shouldn't_ matter to him.

Orihime took out some bottles of soda from the fridge, pouring one glass for her guest and placing it beside his plate, while Grimmjow sat there in silence. He's been doing this a lot lately; thinking to himself, reminiscing on the past. He blamed that on his excessive boredom. After all, it's been awhile since he had battled a worthy opponent. For a hollow, there weren't many other ways to spend your time.

When dinner was over, Orihime announced that she would be going to bed. "You can sleep on my couch," she told Grimmjow. "I already laid out some pillows and a blanket for you. And just in case you get hungry, I left some snacks in the kitchen, so feel free to take some," she chuckled nervously, not knowing what else to say. "Um, yeah. That's it. If you need anything else, I'll be in my room then. Good night!"

And she shut the door behind her, leaving Grimmjow in the living room by himself. He looked down at the sleeping arrangement she had prepared for him, a scowl forming on his face. This was where she wanted him to sleep? On this tiny ass couch?

And that wasn't all. She had given him a blanket all right, and quite a decorative one at that. The Arrancar squinted his eyes, trying to make out the bizarre patterns on the lavender colored sheet she had given him. There were patterns of tiny rainbows along with cartoonish depictions of some weird, horse looking thing with a horn on its head. It had a smile on its face, and Grimmjow could swore the damn thing was mocking him.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he said.

He looked back at the door to Orihime's room, contemplating whether he should storm in right then and there and demand she give him a new one, but ultimately decided against it. With an annoyed sigh, he laid down on the couch, exhaustion overtaking him at once.

_Just a few more weeks,_ he reminded himself. _A few more weeks, and this will all be over._ He would go back home, and never have to endure such humiliating treatment ever again.

He could only hope he could make it to the end of tomorrow.

And on the opposite side of the bedroom door, Orihime was still lying awake, wishing the exact same thing.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update ^.^ How was my implementation of the flashback scene, as well as the missing dialogue between Orihime and Grimmjow? Did it seem to fit in with the rest of the chapter? Or did it just seem out of place? Would really appreciate the honest feedback.**

**Also, how is my pacing with this story? Too fast? Too slow? I want to give their relationship time to develop in a gradual, yet believable way, so I'm trying to avoid rushing into any significant developments. Let me know how that's going so far, as well as any feedback on what I can improve on. Thanks :)**

_**For next time: Orihime's recurring nightmares, and more shenanigans from Grimmjow. Plus, it's time to go back to school and catch up with some old friends. Will Orihime tell them about her new roomate? If so, how will they react? All this and more in the upcoming chapter! **_


	5. Chapter 5

It was now midnight in Karakura town. Things were mostly quiet, apart from the hollering of the frigid Autumn wind or the constant chirping of the nightfall's crickets. Streets were deserted, as hardly any businesses were open at this late hour, while darkness enveloped every corner, with the main source of light emanating from the full moon suspended in the sky above. Most of the town's residents were inside their homes, sleeping soundly, preparing for another productive morning to come.

Orihime Inoue, however, was not one of those residents.

In fact, it had been awhile since the young woman was able to sleep peacefully at all, and tonight would be no different.

With her long auburn hair splayed out across the bed sheets, her small hands gripped the covers, incoherent mumblings escaping her lips as she continued to toss and turn in her sleep. Her body curled up into a ball, as if trying to protect itself from something–something she couldn't quite escape from…no matter how hard she tried.

It had been years since it happened, years since she willingly entered the dreadful confounds of Las Noches, in a decision that she hoped would ultimately save her friends' lives. It was a stupid move, she would realize, and one that may have ended up doing more harm than good.

She had grown stronger since then, sure. Yet the reminder of that mere fact didn't stop the memories of those days from haunting her dreams almost every night. Again and again, she found herself replaying those moments in her head, from watching her friends risk their lives for her sake to the feelings of utter uselessness she felt as she only stood on the sidelines, doing nothing to interfere as the person she cared for most in this world fought with everything he had in order to save her.

_"No…please…don't…hurt him.."_ she murmured. Images of the man she loved clouded her mind. He was screaming in agony, trying to break free from the Arrancar's grip on him. Blood was dripping down his forehead and he was struggling to release his next breath. The Arrancar was suffocating him, slowly and painfully draining the remaining life from his body, as she could only stand there, watching in utmost horror, not being able to do a damn thing…

_"K-Kurosaki K-Kun.."_ her body quivered under the blanket, eyes tightening in pain. Images continued to flash through her head. The tall, lean body of the Arrancar who held her tightly against him, taunting her, laughing at the horrorstruck expression on her face. She tried to scream, but he shoved his long fingers down her throat, suppressing her cries and forcing her to watch her savior get brutally ripped apart right in front of her.

The monster before her was about to finish him off, about to end her dear friend's life within seconds. He was the last one left. The other ones had tried to come to her aid as well, but couldn't make it. Their bodies lay scattered across the sand, each one lying in a pool of deep red.

She wanted to scream, yet before she could, the scenery around her changed. The bodies of her friends had vanished, and she was no longer surrounded by an endless terrain of sand. Instead, she was back in the castle, enclosed by large pillars and colorless walls, a pair of piercing green eyes staring back at her. He began uttering some words to her, words that she was forced to memorize and repeat, ones that defined her newfound purpose.

Her mind and body now belonged to Sosuke Aizen, he said. There were for his use and control. From then on, that would be her only reason for existing, for staying alive. She was to be another pawn in his cruel games, forced to do anything that he ordered her to do.

_"Heal him,"_ he instructed her. Instead of green eyes, she was now staring into a pair of vivid blue ones, belonging to a man with a missing arm. She understood what she had to do. Heal her enemies so that they could go back to hurting the ones she cared about. She didn't want to do it, but she had to.

More images flashed through her mind. Those same blue eyes. The bone masks. The razor-sharp teeth. Hands drenched in blood. Maniacal laughter. That bone-chilling smile. More blood. More laughter. More death. More destruction.

_"Hey, woman,"_ she could hear him say. He wanted her to heal another spot for him. She stood where she was, refusing to aid an enemy once again. _"No..no..I won't do it.." _she murmured.

"Hey, woman!"

That was when she felt something grip her shoulders, jerking her awake. Her eyes shot open, breathing heavily as her mind began to process her current surroundings. She was lying in bed, recovering from yet another one of her nightmares.

It was only a moment later when she realized that something was on top of her.

No, scratch that. _Someone_ was on top of her.

Through the dim lighting of her room, she could still make out the vivid blue color of his eyes, glaring at her intensely as he hovered over her small body, both arms resting on either side of her head.

"Finally. You're awake," he said.

_"G-Grimmjow?!" _She immediately sat up, distancing herself from the Arrancar and holding her blanket tightly against her body. "W-what are you d-doing here?"

It was then when she remembered the events of the day before. Right. She had invited him into her home. He was assigned in the world of the living and needed a place to stay.

Still, that didn't explain what he was doing in her freaking _bedroom_. He was supposed to be sleeping on the couch! Isn't that what they both agreed to?

"Can't sleep," he grunted. "The couch is too fucking small." He had gotten off the bed and was now standing beside her, looking down at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

"You're…too big for the couch?" That was going to be a problem. The couch was the only other option Orihime had. She lived in a one-bedroom apartment and didn't own any futons or extra mattresses that he could sleep on instead. "I'm sorry, Grimmjow…I didn't realize."

"Well, _sorry_ isn't gonna cut it," the Arrancar complained. "I'm exhausted. My back hurts. My shoulders ache. And there's no way in hell I'm wasting another second sleeping on that thing."

"Okay, umm.." she rubbed her eyes, glancing at the alarm clock on her bedside table. _3:02 AM, _it read. She sighed. No mattress store that she knew of was open at this late hour. "Maybe I could make some space for you on the floor?" She suggested. "Like, I could set up some blankets for you to sleep on, make it appear like a mattress, and give you some pillows. You could sleep there for the time be–"

"No," he cut her off.

She froze, not knowing what else to say. "Well, I-I'm sorry, Grimmjow…the store isn't going to open until after sunrise, so there's not much else I can do at the moment," she rubbed the back of her neck, trying to come up with more ideas. "Oh! Maybe after I get back from class I could go there and buy you a mattress, or a bigger couch, if that's what you want? You can even come with me and try them out so that we know if it fits you. But until then you're just going to have to settle for sleeping on the–"

"Move over."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, what are you–_Ahh_!"

In a split second, he had shoved her body to the side, causing her to hit the floor with a hard _thud_. She toppled over, shivering at the contact of the hardwood floor against her skin, at the same time, realizing that her nightgown left much of her body exposed. She frantically stood up, pushing some strands of hair out of her face and wrapping both arms around each other in a futile attempt to cover herself.

"What…are you doing?" She breathed, staring wide-eyed at the blue-haired male who was now lying on her bed, pulling the covers over his body.

"What? I said move over, not 'get the fuck out.' Besides, there's plenty of room for two people. Not sure why you're tryna hoard this thing all to yourself."

"I di...I wasn't–" she was stumbling for words, face turning red hot with embarrassment. The Arrancar, however, didn't seem to get the message. It was true that he usually preferred his personal space, but in his mind, this was his way of being _nice _to her. She had cooked him some good food, and he thought he would at least try to return the favor. Instead of demanding she give him the entire bed, he merely asked that she move over, give him some room. That wasn't so hard, was it?

"Grimmjow...you can't...I mean, I can't just…_sleep_ right next to you," Orihime managed to say.

"What's the big deal?" He groaned. "It's not like I'm gonna bite you or anything." He turned over, shutting his eyes as he buried himself under the comfort of her blanket. "Just don't touch me. Or try any weird shit."

That definitely caught her off guard. "I wouldn–I never–" She could feel her cheeks heat up even more as she stared at him in utter disbelief. "That's not what I meant!"

"Then what the fuck are you tryna say?" He turned back around to face her, clearly irritated.

"I…I'm saying.." How on earth was she supposed to explain this to him? Did he really not get the hint? "Listen...it's just that…doing something like..._this_," she gestured to the whole bed, "is not considered, well, _normal_, for people like you and me."

"Not normal, huh?" he frowned, pondering on those words for a minute. "Oh. I get it."

Her face lit up. "Y-you do?"

"Yeah. It's because I'm a hollow, isn't it? What, you have some weird ass 'code' about not sharing things with us? That if I was some stupid human like Kurosaki, you wouldn't have a problem with this?"

"W-what.." How on earth did he come to _that_ conclusion? "No, Grimmjow, I wouldn't even do this with…_him_ either." Her cheeks flushed at the mention of Ichigo, and she shook her head to dispel the thoughts. "It has nothing to do with you being a hollow or not, it's–"

"Whatever," he cut her off before she could explain any further. "Thought I would try to be nice and let you stay here, but if you don't want that, sleep on the couch for all I care." And with that, he lay back down, pulling the covers over his body.

_What?! _She continued to stand there, staring at the man in her bed with absolute incredulity. "Y-you're just gonna fall asleep? Just like that?" When he didn't respond, she grew infuriated. "Hey! I-I'm talking to you! Don't act like you can't hear me!"

She was met with silence, broken only by the sound of the Arrancar's light snoring. _Unbelievable! _She felt the sudden urge to stomp her foot like a child. Who does he think he is, taking whatever he wants whenever he pleases? He had no right to come into her bedroom like that, let alone take her bed from her! Even after everything she had done to make his stay here more comfortable, _this_ was how he continued to behave?

A few more minutes passed, and Orihime realized that the Arrancar wasn't going to move from his spot any time soon. She let out a sigh, slouching her shoulders in defeat. "Fine, you win. I'll sleep on the couch then."

With one last look at the sleeping male on her bed, she left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. She walked over to the sofa where Grimmjow had been sleeping earlier, adjusting the pillow and sheets before finally lying down, pulling the unicorn-patterned blanket over her head.

She shifted her body, trying to make herself comfortable in her new sleeping space. The springs creaked beneath her, causing her to frown. Even though she was small enough to fit on the sofa, it still wasn't the most comfortable place to rest your eyes. She made a mental note to remember to buy a new one when she woke up. Unfortunately for her, this would have to do for now.

She stared up at the ceiling, reflecting on what had transpired only minutes earlier. "That was…bizarre." She brought both hands to either side of her face, realizing that her cheeks were still warm. "Jeez, what's wrong with me? Why am I so…red?"

Now that she thought about it, Orihime never had another boy in her room before. The only exception was her older brother, who used to read stories to her to help her fall asleep and whom she would call out to whenever she had a nightmare. Other than him, no man had ever entered her room for any reason, let alone…to share the same bed with her.

Her face burned at the thought, and she shook her head rapidly. Grimmjow had really done that. He really suggested that the two of them sleep right next to each other, as if there was absolutely nothing strange about it whatsoever.

She didn't think she had ever felt so flustered in her life.

This guy was truly something else.

* * *

"Thanks for agreeing to walk home with me, Tatsuki-chan."

"It's no problem, Orihime," The brunette smiled warmly at her best friend. "To be honest with you, I really miss being able to do this. Ever since we started university, we've hardly been able to spend any time together."

"I know," the redhead smiled sadly.

It was now mid-afternoon, and the two young women were returning home from yet another long day of school. Although they were majoring in completely different fields, Orihime's being liberal arts and Tatsuki's being Health and Wellness, the two of them found solace in the fact that they lived only a few blocks away from each other and hence, could easily spend time together whenever they had the chance.

Unlike high school, the university that Orihime and Tatsuki attended was located in the city, a wearying 35-minute commute from their small town of Karakura. The closest stop that the city bus made to Orihime's home was by the shopping center a couple blocks away, so she usually had to take the rest of the way home by foot. Tatsuki's classes ended at a different time than Orihime's, so it wasn't often that the two of them got to walk home together. Today, however, was the exception.

"Anyway, what's been going on with you?" Tatsuki inquired. "Anything exciting happened since the last time we talked?"

"What do you mean by 'exciting?' " Orihime asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," the brunette teased, playfully nudging her friend's shoulder. "About you-know-who! Your feelings for him! Come on, don't tell me you still haven't talked to him yet. I know he's out of town at the moment, but you can still text or call him, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure," Orihime looked down, blushing. "No, I haven't told him anything yet, Tatsuki-chan. I didn't get the chance to call him."

"You're kidding," Tatsuki stared at her best friend, eyes wide with disbelief. "Well how much longer are you going to wait, Orihime? I know our lives used to be hectic because of the war and everything with Soul Society, but that's all behind us now! We haven't seen much hollow activity around here either. As far as I'm concerned, Karakura town has been quite peaceful lately. So if there's any better time to talk to Ichigo about this, it's now."

"I guess you're right," Orihime replied, her voice soft. "I just…I just have a lot on my mind, lately. That's all."

"You feeling okay?" Tatsuki looked worried now. "Now that you mention it, you look like you haven't slept in days…what's going on? Had another one of those dreams lately?"

"Yeah…it happened again," Orihime admitted, recalling her latest nightmare about Hueco Mundo.

Tatsuki was quiet for a moment, only nodding in response. Then she spoke. "Except that's not the only thing that's been going on…is it?"

She froze. There was, of course, something else on her mind. It shouldn't have surprised Orihime that she was able to figure it out so quickly. Tatsuki was the only person in her life who had always been able to read her like an open book. But…how on earth was she supposed to tell her about what was currently bothering her? _Oh, by the way, Tatsuki-chan! We're working side by side with the Arrancar now. You know, the ones that kidnapped me all those years ago? Not only that, but one of them is actually staying in my house now! He's a fun one, already broke a few things of mine and even threw my cooking across the house! He's also quite moody and prone to violent outbursts, but don't worry! I've got everything under control._

She sighed. There's no way for her to explain the situation to her best friend without her freaking out in some way. Even the mere mention of the fact that her new roommate is _male_ would be enough for her to go ballistic.

She'd have to cover it up somehow.

"Actually, Tatsuki...there is something I haven't told you yet." Her best friend turned to look at her, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "It's true I haven't gotten that much sleep lately. And that's because…well, I've had some…company."

"Company?" Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. "Who is it? Anyone I know?"

"No, not anyone you know. Actually, it's kinda silly. I don't even know why I'm being so dramatic, heh heh," she rubbed the back of her neck, a gesture Orihime just now realized was a bad habit of hers. "It's not even a _person_ I'm talking about.."

"Not a person..?" Tatsuki wasn't sure she was following. "Then what is it? Some kind of animal?"

"Yeah…an animal," Orihime affirmed. "Actually it's…it's a cat."

"A cat? You got a new cat?"

"I know, it sounds silly," a sheepish smile formed on her face. "But…someone recently asked me to look after their cat, and…well, let's just say, he and I haven't exactly been up to a great start."

"You mean you and the cat?" Tatsuki asked. Orihime nodded to confirm. "Hm. Okay, I'm listening."

And so, she told her the whole story, slightly changing some details to fit her narrative. The entire time, Tatsuki listened without a trace of judgment.

"Hm. That definitely sounds like a cat, alright," she chuckled. "I mean, the anti-social behavior. Ruining your furniture. Being picky with their food. And don't even get me started with wanting to sleep in the same bed as you." She rolled her eyes, laughing.

Orihime smiled lightly. "I just…I don't really know what to do. It's obvious that he doesn't want to be there, my home isn't the of type environment that he's used to, but he doesn't really have a choice, you know? And I'm just stressing out because I have no idea how to get to him. He just always seems so…_angry_…and doesn't want anything to do with me. What am I supposed to do? Should I just…give up then? Not even try? Or maybe, ask someone else to look after him instead? What do you think, Tatsuki-chan?"

"Well…" the brunette pondered for a moment. "I definitely understand how you're feeling. Cats can be a bit challenging to look after, and I don't blame you for feeling so down in the dumps if yours doesn't seem to like you, but…I wouldn't say that you should give up just yet."

"Yeah?" Orihime looked hopeful.

"Well, of course. I mean, how long did you have this cat for, anyway? A few days?"

"Just one, actually."

"Seriously? Well, in that case, you've gotta relax, Orihime," Tatsuki chuckled. "There's this big misunderstanding that cats are these grumpy, anti-social creatures that despise humans, but in reality, they're just as sociable as dogs. You just have to be a little patient with some of them, they might need more time to adjust to their new home than others."

"Huh." Orihime considered those words for a minute. "And you're sure about that?"

"I'm positive. I've been a cat owner myself, you know, and believe me, some of those guys have been through hell before they were taken in. I'll bet your guy is a little skeptical of the human race, that's why he's been acting a bit hostile towards you."

Skeptical towards humans, huh? Orihime had to hold back a smile. _If you only knew_, she thought to herself.

"Believe me, Orihime," Tatsuki continued, "he'll learn to love you eventually. Once he realizes that he can trust you, that you're not one of those cruel owners who probably had him before you, he'll never want to leave your side. Before you know it, he'll be cuddling up beside you, constantly asking to be petted and played with, even if you've got your hands full. Just give it some time, find out what kind of food he likes or what activities he prefers to do, and just focus on that."

"Activities...?" That was certainly going to be a challenge. What _did_ Grimmjow like to do? Picking fights was certainly one thing, but not something he could partake in while he was staying with her, so what else was there? The television didn't pique his interest, either, which shouldn't come as a surprise since Orihime could only afford basic channels like the news and weather. Perhaps she should rent a movie sometime? Or take him out somewhere, introduce him to some of her favorite tourist spots around town? Or maybe he was the materialistic type and would be interested in shopping with her? Yeah, those all sounded like activities she could try. "I haven't thought of that. Thank you, Tatsuki-chan."

"No problem," her friend replied. "By the way, do you have a name for this cat? What should I call him?"

"Oh. H-his name?" Orihime froze for a moment. She could tell her that, right? Tatsuki never actually met the former Sexta Espada before, so it should be alright. "His name is uh…Grimmjow."

"Grimm..jow..?" Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, letting out a laugh. "Leave it to you to come up with such strange names, Orihime."

"Heh heh, yeah.." the redhead chuckled. "It's a strange name, alright, but I don't know…I kinda like it."

* * *

"I'm hooome!"

Orihime kicked off her shoes and placed her carry-on on the table beside the door. She removed her coat, scanning the living room area. "Grimmjow-san?" She called out.

She received no answer. And sure enough, as she glanced around her small apartment, the blue-haired Arrancar was nowhere to be found. Orihime was expecting him to be sitting here watching TV, sprawled out on the new couch that she had brought specifically for him, but he wasn't.

"That's strange." Could he be out with Urahara somewhere? If that was the case, Orihime wasn't told anything about it. But then again, Urahara had told her that he didn't want her too involved in the current conflict, so perhaps that could explain why she wasn't informed of Grimmjow's whereabouts.

"Oh, well. I guess it's just going to be me tonight." Admittedly, the realization made her feel a bit relieved. Stretching out her arms, she let out a yawn, making her way into her room.

She opened her closet in search of some comfortable clothes to change into. But as she turned around to lay the new outfit on her bed, she jumped in surprise.

There, sitting on the floor in front of her bookshelf, surrounded by a pile of books, her manga collection to be exact, was Grimmjow himself.

And it seemed that the Arrancar didn't even notice her come in. His blue eyes were entirely focused on the comic in his hands, frowning as they glided from panel to panel, his mind deeply immersed in the story while Orihime could only stand there, stunned by the scene before her.

_Was he…reading? _

She had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Sure enough, the man before her was actually there, sitting on the floor in front of her bookshelf…reading one of her manga.

The sense of confusion she had been feeling suddenly grew into excitement. Could this be a possible activity he could do? Just like what Tatsuki was telling her about? Truth be told, reading was the last thing she expected Grimmjow to be interested in, but…if it turned out that that's what he enjoyed doing, then that was wonderful! She herself loved to read and had a whole list of books that she had yet to get started on. Maybe she should stop at the library some day and get some books for him too? Yeah, why not? Perhaps he would like that.

She smiled. "So you like reading, huh?"

"Hm?" For the first time, he looked up from the manga in his hands, realizing just now that Orihime had come home. "Oh. It's you." He tossed the book outside, standing up from the floor and stretching his arms above his head. "Nah…just looking for something to do while you came back. And it's about fucking time that you did. I've been waiting here all day."

"You…you've been waiting? Why? Is something wrong?"

"Is something wrong?" He scowled. "Yeah, something's wrong. I haven't had a damn meal since you left this morning, and I'm starving. You're gonna prepare something or what?"

_Oh. _Orihime suddenly felt like smacking herself. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about preparing meals for him. On top of her pile of schoolwork, grocery shopping, and working at her job, this was yet another responsibility that she had now; making sure her roommate had something to eat while she wasn't home.

"R-right! You're hungry! I'm so sorry about that, Grimmjow-san! I'll get working right away! Dinner will be ready real soon, I promise!" And she hurried out of the room.

Grimmjow stayed where he was, hooded blue eyes lingering on the girl as she ran off towards the kitchen. "Sheesh." She was definitely something else. Friendly and naïve, but also stupid. He had no clue where she was all day, but it was no reason for her to have left him alone the entire time, practically left to starve. Talk about idiotic.

Brushing away those thoughts, his gaze landed on the manga he had been reading before she arrived. He bent down and picked it up, skimming through the pages to find where he had left off. He then sat on the floor, preparing to continue.

Truthfully, it was the pictures that made him gravitate towards this particular story. The cover appeared rather violent, displaying images of young men in torn up clothing, covered in slashes and scars as they held out their bloodied fists, ready to charge at their opponents. The imagery alone was enough to arouse Grimmjow's interest.

And so, he decided to give the story a try, his curiosity getting the better of him. Each page was covered in meticulously drawn graphics. Every fight scene was illustrated with such incredible detail, showing the character's gruesome injuries as they attempted to fight for their lives, while the expressions on their faces clearly showed the strong feelings of anger, passion, and desolation that drove them to the cause. Grimmjow was intrigued by every panel, his desire to understand what was going on in the story deepening with each turn of a page.

It wasn't until he was a few pages in when he began to grow frustrated, for staring at the pictures wasn't enough for him to understand what was actually going on in the story. He studied the strange, black symbols in the panel he was currently on, frown deepening as he attempted to decipher its meaning.

_"De..de…cide...ta..to…join…us…we…need…ga…good.." _He pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to let out a frustrated growl. Dammit! Why was he struggling to get through just one page? No, fuck that. He couldn't even get through a single sentence! These stupid letters…just looking at them was enough to throw him into a fit of rage.

_Heh_. He tossed the manga aside again. Why bother, anyway? Why did it matter whether or not he could read some stupid book? He was an Arrancar for crying out loud! He was going to be king of Hueco Mundo one day. There was no reason for him to waste his time on such worthless activities. He was only skimming through her bookshelf because he was bored. After all, there wasn't much else for him to do in this shithole.

With that justification in mind, he walked out of the room, following the aroma of Orihime's cooking.

Reading? Hah! As if a future _king_ like him would ever waste his time with such absurdity.

**A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the rather long wait. To make it up for it, I made this chapter a bit longer than my usual ones. Hope you enjoyed and as usual, let me know your thoughts :)**


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